The Role of Crossover Learning Strategy in Developing Nursing Students' Academic Achievement and Reflective Thinking

Abstract

This research investigates the effectiveness of the crossover learning strategy on nursing students’ academic achievement and reflective thinking in the nursing department of a private institution in Rwanduz. The population of the study consists of first-stage students at the private institution in Rwanduz during the academic year 2023–2024. The sample of the study consists of first-stage students in the nursing department, who were selected purposively. The researchers employed a quasi-experimental design, and the sample was divided into two groups: 21 students in the control group and 21 students in the experimental group. The traditional method was implemented in the control group, while the crossover learning strategy was applied in the experimental group. Two scales were used as research tools. The first scale measured academic achievement and consisted of 40 multiple-choice items. The second scale measured reflective thinking, consisted of 35 items, and was adopted from another researcher. The validity and reliability of the research tools were assessed. Furthermore, pre- and post-tests of both groups’ reflective thinking were conducted using a two-sample t-test, and an independent-samples t-test was conducted to analyze academic achievement. The results of the study revealed significant differences in academic achievement and reflective thinking between the experimental and control groups. The experimental group achieved higher scores using the crossover learning strategy than the control group, and their reflective thinking improved more than that of the control group. Therefore, the crossover learning strategy was effective in improving students’ academic achievement.